Citizen Brings Gun to Knife Fight, Bags Grocery Store Slasher

A gun-wielding Samaritan stopped a knife-wielding madman who went on a rampage Thursday at a Salt Lake City grocery store.

Using a kitchen knife he’d purchased moments earlier at the downtown Smith’s Marketplace, the slasher gored two victims, one in the temple and one in the stomach, reports KSL.com. But a citizen packing heat was quick on the draw and played a short-lived, high-stakes game of rock-paper-scissors. Gun trumped kitchen knife:

Police say a bystander with a concealed carry permit witnessed the attack and stepped in to keep it from escalating. “(The bystander) was suspicious of what might be going on, and when he saw the stabbing, he just drew his pistol and challenged the individual,” which caused the alleged attacker to lie down on the ground, said Salt Lake City Police Lt. Brian Purvis. By the time police officers arrived on the scene, the man was subdued and is now in custody. … “This was a really volatile situation that could have gotten even worse,” Purvis said. “(The bystander) was definitely in the right place at the right time.”

Case closed. Guns are good. Right? What do you think? Leave a comment and start a conversation below.